Okafor, Bobcats overcome Bryant to outlast Lakers

Despite a season-high 58 points from Bryant, Emeka Okafor was
able to dominate the paint and Matt Carroll scored a career-high
27 points off the bench as the Charlotte Bobcats outlasted the
Lakers, 133-124, in a triple-overtime thriller.

Okafor had 22 points and a franchise-record 25 rebounds for the
Bobcats, who picked up a victory in the first triple-overtime
contest in club history in front of the largest crowd ever to
see a game in Charlotte.

"We fought hard. It took us three (overtimes), but we got it
done," Okafor said. "It feels nice, especially when you spent
the whole night trying to get it done. I just did whatever it
took to get it done, whether it was rebounds or points."

Bryant shot 22-of-45 from the field and 10-of-12 from the line
to record the second-highest scoring game in the NBA this
season. Washington guard Gilbert Arenas scored 60 points vs.
the Lakers on December 17.

"I was yelling at them to run their offense and get away from
Kobe, but they just seemed to be going back to him all the
time," Jackson said. "When we were tried to go away from him,
we were successful and good things happened."

Last season, Bryant scored a franchise-record 81 points vs.
Toronto and 62 against Dallas. On Friday, he notched his third
50-point game of 2006-07.

Bryant scored 53 vs. Houston on December 15 and 52 against Utah
on November 30, but he claims he would much rather play within
the team concept.

"I'd much rather not (have to carry the team)," Bryant said.
"It's too tiring, but sometimes you've got to do what you got to
do to keep your team in the game and get a win. Hopefully, the
next game will be a little bit different."

However, in the third extra session, Bryant committed one of the
cardinal sins of defense. With his team trailing by two points
with 1:14 left, he fouled reserve Derek Anderson, who was
attempting a 3-pointer. Anderson nailed all three foul shots to
make it 129-124, and Los Angeles was unable to get any closer.

On the ensuing possession, Bryant fouled out of the game,
committing a charge on a wild drive to the basket but leaving
with the third-highest scoring game of his career.

"Silly, silly calls, but you've got to try and overcome that,"
Bryant said. "Sometimes calls go your way and sometimes they
don't. That's all I can say, and I really don't want to be
($20,000) lighter."

Anderson also took the charge on Bryant.

"I got the three-point foul earlier, so you just go out there
and keep playing hard. You never know what's going to happen,"
Anderson said. "We learned a whole lot. It gives you
confidence, and in this league, confidence is what makes you
good."

With the game tied in the second overtime, Raymond Felton nailed
a 3-pointer to make it 120-117 with 36 seconds left. On the
ensuing possession, Bryant answered with his own shot from the
arc to again knot it with 21 seconds left. Bryant had nine
points in the second extra session.

"We really make it hard. We just aren't aware of the time and
score, like on that last shot when we were up by three," Bobcats
coach Bernie Bickerstaff said. "We pulled out on Kobe and he
hit the 3-pointer to tie it up. When you get tired, you take
shortcuts, but we had the fortitude to stay in there. Kobe is a
lot to deal with."

Okafor shot 10-of-15 from the floor. Gerald Wallace added 28
points on 11-of-20 shooting for the Bobcats, who shot just 42
percent (47-of-112).

Both teams had multiple chances to seal the victory both at the
end of regulation and the first overtime. Bryant missed a
jumper as time expired in the fourth quarter, while Felton
missed twice at the end of the first extra session.